The Bengals head coach, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the season, now has a deal guaranteed through 2016, the team announced Wednesday.

What initially looked like a make-or-break year for Lewis and his 12-season tenure now feels like an advanced warning that his 0-6 playoff record needs to change, but that he'll have some time to change it.

There's no doubt that Lewis was a breath of fresh air for the Bengals' franchise upon his hiring in 2003. He broke a string of six consecutive losing seasons and, in his third year, made the playoffs and lost in the opening round.

Sadly, that has been the continuing theme for Lewis throughout his tenure with the Bengals. The incremental progress has led to greater expectations.

If the coach and quarterback are truly tied at the hip then both Dalton -- whose dead money against the cap reduces significantly after the 2016 season -- and Lewis will need to make a significant leap in 2015.

Surprisingly, that did not translate to an overly-aggressive free agency campaign, though Lewis has always been more willing to build through the draft.

Starting in a week, he'll need some immediate-impact players if he wants to avoid another lame-duck season.